let loose from the noose

I missed April! Sad day.

The end of April and this month have kind of been glomped together anyway. Everything has happened at once. I got the internship, leased my first apartment, and finally graduated. I must say that I'm excited about all three, but the first two have been on my mind a bit more than the others. Nothing has really sunk in yet, however. I guess it probably won't until I actually step in to my own apartment and start my first day of being an event planning coordinator intern...or something, haha.

For now, my priorities have been set on packing up all of my STUFF. I literally have been sitting on my bed or laying in it when I wake up in the morning every day and looking around my room and getting horribly overwhelmed at the amount of stuff I have accumulated in my lifetime. I hesitate to call it shit because it isn't to me. I surround myself with things that make me happy. I like living in a TGI Friday's but I think it's time for a change. I am really limiting myself with what I'm allowed to bring with me. Most pretties are staying. Same with books. This accounts for about 75% of my possessions. It is my goal to leave my room fairly spotless. I was most definitely inspired by Sam's meticulous cleaning of her bathroom.

I keep being worried that my room is going to be tiny and that the pictures and whatnot aren't all going to fit. Then I get really excited when I remember that a third of the apartment is mine to do what I wish with. :D

Ann threw a going-away party for me at the store this evening and I actually had a really good time. It was mostly family and customers who have become friends. Do you ever stop and feel grown up? I felt that way today. I played Suzie Hostess and introduced people to other people who I thought they could talk to. I carried on conversations with no awkward pauses with real grown ups! I would have never done that so effortlessly five years ago. I felt poised and gracious. It was rah-ther nice!

My favorite part of the evening (except for the cake which is unfortunately making me sick sick sick) was getting a little grape soda pop lid pin from my aunt and cousin ala UP. It came with a cute little note that was just so "us". Trinity started getting teary and then I started getting bleary eyed and then my aunt started sniffling which made for a triple blonde cry fest right there in the middle of the store. Sigh. I'm such a goober but it was just such a sweet little handmade and thoughtful gift.

3 more weeks until I head out. Adventure is out there!!!

Anticipaaaaation

By the numbers:

53: The number of days since I applied for Professional and Management Internships

1: Letter of rejection I have received for the Operations Management position

3: The amount of internships I am still in the running for

0: The number of emails (rejection or otherwise) I have received about above positions

3-5: The number of times I check my email and the professional internship facebook site a day

3: The number of times I have revised my online resume

7: The days a week that I have either a headache or upset stomach due to stress

2: The number of days from being April

33: The number of days until the final notice date of May 1st

Sigh. This sucks.

little town full of little people

Just a quickie update before I pass out.

Today I had an interview for four professional internships to Disney World. Afterwords I felt really really good about it but, as always, I found the things in the situation to be stressed about and proceeded to do just that. So I've talked today to about anyone who'll listen. Talking it out is always best for me. I can come to my own solution with someone saying an occasional "uh-huh" and nodding their head. Sam is excellent at this. She knows exactly when I need advice and when to let me keep rambling until I inevitably answer my own question.

I also talked to Ann, and for some reason her advice just stuck. There is nothing more I can do. Nothing. I have done everything I possibly can and have done it right. I've worked for Disney in two capacities. I excelled in both of those. I've reached out and used my connections to help get my name out there. I've developed a killer resume. I applied promptly. I was prepared and did the best interview that I could possibly do. None of the rest of it is in my hands. If I fail, it is not because of me. It's completely their decision. She told me to let it go. And I think I have. This tight feeling I've had in my chest since before they posted the interships is pretty much gone. Of course, I'm still nervous. Immediate life after graduation will be altered by whether I get it or not. But I'm not constantly wondering "what if I had put this in my resume" or "why did I say that in the interview?" Instead, I'm digging the whole fate thing. Whatever will be will be.

I feel good. How about you poppet pies?

Currently Reading:
Dark Whispers by Bruce Coville (happy memories!)

touch my monkey!

I wore leggings under a skirt for the first time since probably 4th grade yesterday. It made me feel like doing this:

Or this!

I'm not quite sure why leggings equal full on leotard bodysuits for me but they just do.

They were actually very comfortable and I felt much better wearing an at the knee skirt without so much breeze. We all know how delicately ladylike I am. Ahem. I also paired them with my rad new acid green Doc Martinish rainboots. I felt oh so 1991.

In other news I feel like this semester will be pretty good. My big bad senior class is really going to be challenging but the other two are freshman courses with loads of busy work which I don't mind. What I do mind is actually having to be in the classes with freshmen. It's like high school all over again. I feel so old! One girl was talking about celebrating her 18th birthday in Hawaii last summer.

I also have a lot of down time this semester which is good. Especially for the amount of reading it calls for. I'm going to try extra hard to run on the treadmill EVERY weekday, no exceptions. Especially between now and vacation which gives me a very small goal that I can deal with.

Graduation (FINALLY) is in 3 months and 3 weeks. Moving to Florida will be in approximately 3 months and 3 weeks. It's both terrifying and ridiculously exciting once you break it down.

Even closer is going to Florida on vacation in 2 weeks from tomorrow!!!

Currently Attempting to Read:
Cosmopolitanism by Kwame Anthony Appiah

shang-a-lang sound

Holy crap new decade!!!

Can you believe we are going to be looking back on this one like we did with the 50s and 80s and so on? And how are you supposed to refer to it? Leggings and Kanye glasses were popular back in the...two thousands? So what's this decade? The twenty tens? Weird.

To be retrospective, this was a pretty uneventful year. I got back from Florida in early January so I really consider the whole experience to be more 2008. It's honestly been school. Period. However, I did make some good school friends this year, bonded with my younger cousin, did "Halloween" up right for once, payed off my car, went to a wedding, found that my opinion actually matters at work, learned the its/it's rule, became the bearer of our family Thanksgiving noodle recipe, took a class on old campus, had a major crush, purchased two pairs of chuck taylors, and saw the Jonas Brothers in concert. I'd say it was fairly successful.

This year was also successful in the amount of books I read. I love that my job requires me to read kids and young adult books. Here's the stuff I read in 2009:

1. Austenland by Shannon Hale
2. Fablehaven by Brendon Mull
3. The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson (Got 3/4 of the way through. Did NOT like.)
4. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
5. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
6. Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
7. Peter and the Shadow Thieves by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
8. Peter and the Secret of Rundoon by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
9. Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List by Rachael Cohn and David Levithan
10. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaimen
11. The Legend of Holly Claus by Brittany Ryan
12. A Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones
13. Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter
14. The Heroines by Eileen Favorite
15. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachael Cohn and David Levithan
16. Ransom My Heart by Meg Cabot
17. Tales from the Hood by Michael Buckley
18. Generation Dead by Daniel Waters
19. Luna by Julie Ann Peters
20. Paper Towns by John Green
21. A Little Bit Wicked by Kristen Chenoweth
22. Cybele's Secret by Juliet Marillier
23. Beastly by Alex Flinn
24. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K Rowling
25. Looking for Alaska by John Green
26. Party Princess by Meg Cabot
27. Sweet Sixteen Princess by Meg Cabot
28. Princess on the Brink by Meg Cabot
29. Princess Mia by Meg Cabot
30. Forever Princess by Meg Cabot (Oh don't look at me that way, they're funny okay!)
31. The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale
32. Don't Judge a Girl by her Cover by Ally Cater
33. Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher
34. Devilish by Maureen Johnson
35. Wings by Aprilynne Pike
36. How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas Foster
37. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
38. The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett
39. The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
40. Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause
41. Last of the Mohicans by James Fenmore Cooper
42. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
43. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
44. Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
45. Soulless by Gail Carriger
46. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
47. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
48. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
49. House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne
50. The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance by Elna Baker
51. The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber
52. Scones and Sensibility by Lindsay Eland

Not a bad haul. My initial goal was to read 100 books and obviously that didn't happen. But 50 isn't awful when you are also trying to have somewhat of a life. Of my dreaded unread stack I have only read two titles. But it's also been the holidays and I've been working so I'll let it slide this once.

Happy New Year!!!

some people read because they cannot think for themselves

It is freaking cold out. I haven't constantly had my nose pressed against the window, but I'm fairly sure it has been snowing nonstop for the past two days. I love being inside and watching it from where it's nice and warm but actually venturing out into it is such a nightmare.

Tis' the season for finals. I only have 3 more and my monster term paper, due at the end of this week. I'm significantly less stressed than last semester, which is good.

So to the point of today's blog:

I finally got my floating bookshelves up today! Admittedly, they are making me a tad nervous. They seem sturdy enough, but I just don't like not having good ol' fashioned wood holding them up! The large shelf supposedly is supposed to be able to hold 20lbs. I weighed all seven of the Harry Potter books, plus Beedle the Bard, and Harry's textbooks and all that came to 16.5 pounds. But still. They look precarious. This addition meant that books needed to be shuffled around because of extra space. As I began to move books around I began to make mental notes of which ones I haven't read yet. The mental list began to grow. I thought, hey, wouldn't it be fun to see just how many books I own that I haven't read? Thus did a good two hours of procrastination begin.

Here is a stack of all of the books I intend to read.



No, dear reader, your eyes do not deceive you. That first stack is literally crammed between floor and ceiling. Remember, these are books I intend to read. Not ones that I have already read or ones that I will probably never read that I got out of pity from various discount bins or for free that will most likely be donated very soon.

Holy crap I have a lot of books. When I take them out of their natural environment, the veil is lifted. Where did I get all of these?! I know the 3/4 of the books that have been purchased were from Borders when I had my discount. I bought a couple of books a week, give or take. Oh to be young and unburdened with fiscal responsibility. I remember the week right before I left, Borders had an enormous sale of overstock books from stores throughout the region. Most of them were between one and three dollars. I came home with a box. That's where that box behind more door came from! I still have it and always wonder why I came home with one. Mystery solved.

Anyway, the rest are mostly books I had from before I worked there, free advanced readers copies I have gotten throughout the years from both Borders and An Open Book, and books from the trade show I attended in September.

I began to muse over which of these neglected books will be making the journey with me to Florida. This has been a conundrum that I have brought to Sam's attention in the past. She has been instructed to be a hard ass and only let me take a small bookshelf-full. I am confident that she will fulfill her duty with pleasure.

So here is my goal. To get as many of these 153 books read as possible before I leave for Florida.

The more books I read the less I will be tempted to bring with me, see? I am aware that, even being a stupidly fast reader, there is no way I will be able to read them all by this summer. Especially accounting for the fact that I do still need to pass my last semester to graduate. But maybe this self-challenge will be a kick in the pants for me. I haven't read for fun in over a month and a half. As much as I blame this on required reading I know it isn't true. Most of my time is wasted on the internet doing nothing. Really, nothing. I find myself checking the same sites 2 and 3 times a day. That's ridiculous.

This blog (since it really hasn't been used for anything else) is going to become my progress report. I may move the whole project to totally different blog, but for now, this will be its home.

While taking the tower down from the hallway, the top books began to fall. I quickly threw myself at it to keep the entire thing from toppling over, hollering for my freakishly tall 7 year old brother (oh wait...he's how old? 16?! not possible) to come help me. Caleb came running and tried to help me carefully take down the top of the stack. Kendal, however, proceeded to tickle me and a moment later I found myself on the floor, covered in books, with a sore eye, the beginnings of a bloody Marsha Brady nose, and screaming obscenities at the top of my voice.

I was pissed but found a silver lining. I sat down in the middle of the mess and began to write down the books where they fell closest to me. I am going to try and read them in that order. That way I don't skip the books I'm always skipping and just read new ones.

Hooray, hooray, I'm your silver lining.

So there's that. I hope this won't be one of those projects I undertake and give up after a few months. I'm really going to try and see it through. I'm thinking that I'm going to really start this weekend after I don't have to worry about finals anymore. I'm also hoping that you guys don't get really bored of reading book reviews. :)

The book that fell closest to me is called The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker. I had no idea that I had it or what it's about. Off to a great start.

*Edit* This idea was thought up before I got the email from my senior lit professor about the reading material we'll be needing for next semester. ELEVEN BOOKS...balls.

she wears high heels, i wear sneakers

You never realize how many muscles you have until they are sore beyond belief. Even as I shift to type, my shoulder blades and obliques scream out in protest. Kickboxing kicked my jiggly patootie yesterday. It's such a good hurt though. I took an unnecessary hiatus from the class for a while and just started getting back on the wagon last week. As lame as it sounds I feel more centered and calm and just happy. Endorphins make you happy and happy people just don't kill their husbands.

So fun story: I stopped by Blockbuster on my way home this evening and there was no one in the store except for a few employees standing around watching UP. After perusing the moichendice I grabbed The Ugly Truth (because as meh as I'm anticipating it to be, it's Gerard Butler. Nuff said.) and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. The movies being traded out were Gooby and Monsters vs. Aliens. The girl who checked me out has done so nearly every time I've been in the past couple of months.

Her: So how did you guys like Gooby?
Me: *laughs* Ummm, it was laugh out loud in ways it shouldn't have been. And Gooby was unreasonably scary.
Her: *laughs* Really? So how'd the kiddo like it?
Thinking she jokingly meant Sam (who had picked out the movie)
Me: Uhhhh. She felt about the same?
Her: I love all the movies you pick. You have to be the best mom ever!
Me: ...
Her: My mom would never get us movies growing up! So how many do you have?
Me: ...one?
Her: Awww! Boy or girl?
Me: ...girl?
Her: I've got a daughter too. *printing out receipt* They're great. So what's her recommended pick for recent movies?
Me: *heading for the door* Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure.
Her: Oh us too! It was surprisingly funny for adults too. My husband and I cracked up so many times.
It was then that she proceeded to look down at the naked ring finger on my left hand and gave me a sympathetic smile as she handed me my receipt and movies and wished me a good night.

Awesome. I should have proudly said I rented kids movies for myself but this gave me more to laugh over as I drove back home.

Left in the Semester: 1 "short" paper on Manfred, 2 long research papers, 4 tests. 5 golden riiiings! I figured out today what I'm doing for my Romanticism research paper though. I'm going to compare Twilight to Gothic and sentimentality novels of the mid 1800s. I'm actually kind of excited. I hope there's going to be enough fodder to do research though.

I worked hard on the bathroom collage at work this last weekend. I closed the store doors, turned off everything but the white twinkle lights and worked for two hours off the clock while listening to visionsfantastic radio. I have never been so content in my entire life.

Currently Listening To:
Glee: The Music, Volume 1 (Lea Michele's voice gives me goosebumps. Even though I've never seen the show I want the original cast soundtrack of Spring Awakening just so I can listen to her voice)

Currently Reading:
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

i drew a new face and i laughed

Bored doesn't even begin to cover it. I am completely unmotivated to do anything. It's a good thing nothing is due tomorrow because there is no way it would get done. I'm actually excited to go to kickboxing tonight because it will get me away from pathetically checking the same website a zillion times over the course of a two hour period. The worst thing is that I'm actually having a great hair day and have no one to appreciate it. Sigh.


The best part of my day was figuring out how to send homemade ring tones to my phone. My text message now does the Kim Possible doo doo dee doo sound. It makes me ridiculously excited to get a message.


Here are some other things I'm excited about:
-UP coming out on DVD next week
-Working on my bathroom collage at work on Friday. We got an awesome Where the Wild Things are movie poster in the mail that's going up first thing.
-My boss giving me the new Peter and the Starcatchers book as a present for coming in and putting up new displays. Which is by far my favorite part of the job so I refused but she squished my face until I relented. Best boss ever.
-The Princess and the Frog
-Possible Christmas presents for friends. I've got all these amazing perfect gift ideas roaming around my brain. I hope I can actually do them though.
-Getting references from How I Met Your Mother and a bing search engine commercial because Sam made me watch the Shining which I actually ended up enjoying despite my shrieking and cowering.
-Watching The Half Blood Prince again with lowered expectations
-Mary Poppins coming to Denver in March! I'm totally wearing my hat and taking my official parrot head umbrella.
-Spending the holidays at home this year
-My advising appointment tomorrow. I love signing up for new classes. ONE MORE SEMEMSTER!!!


Really, the only reason I wanted to post a blog today was to share with you the following attrocity. Behold. Edward Cullen panties!




and as if that weren't bad enough, check out the crotch:



Naughty! If these start being sold at Walmart, someone is getting them for Christmas!

Currently Reading:
The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne (as in the author of The Scarlet Letter, my most favorite book of all time) Ugh. I'm so excited to start reading for fun again.

the bird! the wayne!

Today was a Snow Day here in good ol' "Hey it's October, time for 2 feet of snow" Colorado. My lazy self was overjoyed at the prospect of having a seven pillow princess day all to myself. I woke up at 9:15, checked on the status of my class cancellations and tried to go back to sleep with no success. Instead, I rotted my brain with youtube until around 2 and decided to do something productive. So cleaning my room while watching the second season of Everwood has seemed like a good choice.

As I was cleaning under my bed, I found a list written on the back of a Borders Easy Order card dated December of 2005. It reads as follows:

Here are some things that make me happy-
laughing, escorting a moth out of an open door, the word "thither", clear elevators, the smell of a hardcover book, the feeling of a soft scarf around my neck, a long ring-finger fingernail, clean feet, perfectly applied eyeliner, baked mac n cheese, "chicken socks", Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas sung by Judy Garland, smooth pebbles, watching holiday movies during the summer, old jingles, the Pleasant Company catalogues, Build-A-Bear, fedoras, feather quills, bubble letters, the surname of Pickering, cat purring, wrought iron spiral staircases, wing backed chairs, Indiana Jones, spearmint, endless strings of pearls, green grass, putting in the last piece of a puzzle, LEGOs, beating a boy at a video game, noticing the mountains, paint color samples, giant muffins, pirates, fairy tales, too-big sweaters, smell memories, pumpkins, white picket fences, English gardens, candy land, technicolor, mittens, great hair days, cat-eye glasses, the Mulan's "sheepish smile", garlic mashed potatoes, down comforters and pillows, sleeping with the windows open, freckles, white boards, Aslan, mermaids, streamers, green cargo pants, shuttlecocks, Jane Austen movies, wearing socks on the carpet, the prickly scalp feeling after taking down a ponytail, static shock kisses, JELLO jigglers, stretching, overalls, hugging an old doll, tea parties, "whatever tickles your pickle", getting a new nickname, perfectly flipping a pancake, hot tamales candy, dog kisses, playing house, fixing something, organizing, lilies, choreographed dancing, Scottish, English, Irish, Australian accents, finding the perfect gift, grandma's Thanksgiving noodles, new shoelaces, playing crack the egg on the trampoline, claymation, sound effect books, Victorian Egyptology, cursive, family breakfasts, homemade ice cream, lunch boxes, old houses, Clydesdale's, useless facts, beads, slipping into a familiar book, luke-warm hot cocoa, new snow, quotations, tickling the fur between kitty and puppy toes, a brand new box of crayons, Christmas morning, thunderstorms, buttons, wearing hats, fountains, stickers, My Little Ponies, double rainbows, running through the sprinklers, dawn, the big dipper, masquerade masks, feathers, photo booths, snapple, flying a kite, poofy dresses, Celtic knots, ballet slippers, white twinkle lights, Harry Potter book covers, the sound of wind chimes, the Noah's Ark story, brushing my teeth, knitting, gaudy earrings, lilacs, trunks, sunglasses, linking arms.

Wow. Isn't it funny that those things haven't changed? I don't remember writing this list at all. What a fun little treat for doing something productive!

I also found far too many purses that I never use. Yet I can't seem to get rid of any. I have one purse that I wear out until it begs for mercy and then buy a new one. I'm going to try and trade purses more often. Scouts honor!

So wearing a hoodie, sweatpants, no makeup, no watch, no bra, and having no agenda has been heavenly. I highly recommend it.

Happy almost Halloween!

celebrate you!

Today is awesome because I'm actually BLOGGING! *cue Bill and Ted-like woah* Over a month is far too long to not be writing anything. For shame.

Here are some recent happenings/musings:

1. Yesterday was my berfday! I am 23 years old. Even though my family thought I was 24. Everyone kept saying that next year I was going to be a quarter of a century. I got them back by accusing my dad of being half a century except he doesn't turn 50 until December. I win! Birthdays have become non-events but I'm truly okay with that. Honestly, I was just happy I got cake! ...and a baby okapi named Wilson Matua. <3

2. I go to a kickboxing class every Monday and Wednesday. The decision to join was made in haste but I am very glad I did it. It forces me to exercise and it also forces me to look critically at myself. I hate hate hate that the studio's walls are made of mirrors. Every time I look up I see this dinosaur-like thing tromping around. However, this makes me work harder. :) My favorite thing about the class (other than my adorably bubbly and uncoordinated partner) is the various remixes of songs our instructor plays to get us motivated. It's hilariously random. Remixes of Journey, Shania, Britney, and Boyz 2 Men are just a few of the fantastically upbeat selections.

3. I was at a stoplight on campus yesterday in front of a really nice car driven by this gorgeous blond sorority girl (and no I am NOT profiling, she had a huge Greek symbol thingy sticker on her window)when I noticed she was picking her nose. Now, far be it from me to judge someone for picking their nose, even in public, because everyone does it. You've got something gross in there that you want out! Completely understandable. However, I was appalled to see her stick the freshly picked gem in her mouth. I gaped at her through my rear view mirror thinking that maybe it was the wrong finger. No such luck. She did the same thing with the other nostril. I will not lie to you, dear readers, I gagged. Why?! I am fairly certain that I have never purposefully eaten a booger even as a small child. This is the same reason I never ate paste or mud or play-dough or crayons. Because I was taught that only food goes in your mouth. And to be perfectly honest I was fairly satisfied with my Fruit Loops, thank you. Am I overreacting? Do I just have an overdeveloped gag reflex?

4. The past couple of weeks were also devoted to watching the entire series of Firefly. I say weeks, but really I'd say all in all probably a total of three days. I'm obsessed. I was so surprised at how much I loved it. Science fiction and Westerns are my two least favorite genres, and that is truly what the series was, yet it was so much more than that. I am being forced to wait to watch the series' swan song, Serenity, until we go to Florida in a month. Until then, I have satisfied myself with breaking down and watching Everwood after being vehemently convinced to do so by Sam. It has become my official treadmill show which is a huge honor for any series to hold.

5. School has become more tolerable since I made friends in my English classes. I make friends fairly easily but UNC's lecture classes make it difficult. I made the ones I have now from being in an open discussion English class with a few last year. Then add to them girls that my friends already knew and you've got yourself a nice sized back of the classroom posse. The crazy thing is that these are the sort of girls that I envied in High School. The popular ones who haven't gotten there by being catty but because they are smart and pretty and just downright cool to everyone. It's so bizarre being included by them. I'm asked to go out for drinks after class or to the library to get a sandwich if we've been let out early. It's such an arbitrary and childish joy but I don't care. So yay!

6. So apparently those are the only things going on haha. I love being lame. The only other big happening is my huge undertaking of making a Drizella (as in the green ugly stepsister from Cinderella) dress for Mickey's Not So Scary next month. I will keep you updated as to how that's turning out. I have the pattern and the fabric so I guess that all there is to be done is to put it together. Easy peasy! ....yeeeeah.

Recently devoured:
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (want to know how much I loved this book? I woke up this morning excited to read it and didn't even get on the computer until after 2 because I was busy finishing it. That's pretty big)

Currently Reading:
The Funny Thing Is... by Ellen Degeneres

i went to spend a jolly hour on the trolly and lost my heart instead

What is bliss?

I think bliss is different for everyone. I know for me bliss changes daily.

Today's moment of bliss is happening right at this very moment. These have attributed to it:
1. Finishing a paper that I feel so good about that I really don't care about the grade. Not a bit.
2. Sitting and watching the final ten minutes of You've Got Mail. I don't care that it's cheesy. I don't care that it has every romantic comedy cliche in the book. I love Tom Hanks' snark, yet kindness. I love Meg Ryan's signature perkiness. I love that it isn't about sex. It's just charming. I believe that watching You've Got Mail is equivelent to being a cat who gets scratched on the scruff of their neck. They become oatmeal. Well sprinkle me with cinnamon and get a spoon.
3. Lounging in my brand new comfy blue sparkly plaid pajama pants.
4. Wearing socks in bed.
5. Realizing that I should have gotten the next size smaller in the $6 jeans I bought yesterday (which for most people would equal frustration but for me it equals a woohoo!)
6. Knowing that I can read whatever the heck I want to tonight. I choose you Blood and Chocolate!
7. Looking up the recipe for Disneyland non-alcoholic mint juleps.

What's tickling your pickle today, poppets?

now it's time to say goodbye to all our company

I think that Hunchback of Notre Dame has the most underrated soundtrack of all Disney movies. It has that sort of John Williams epic sweeping score that makes you want to cry. The bells and organ music is sure to give you shivers. Hercules is another one that has some great epic music. Go the Distance? C'mon! Even if you loathe Michael Bolton you have to admit that's nearly as wall climbing inspirational as Final Countdown. I think if I ever met Alan Menken I would give him a hug, say thank you, and walk away.

Today is the last day of the Blog Every Day in July Challenge. I'm grateful that Sam put me up to it because it got me to writing again, though I have to say how disappointed I was at how boring and uncreative I am. It's healthy to get thoughts out right before bed. I think this is more for my benefit than anyone elses. I miss xanga in that way. It was more like a diary and I'm sure there are things documented there that I have completely forgotten. Again, I really wish I would have blogged when I was in Florida. There have got to be some amazing, hilarious, and cringe-worthy moments that have escaped my memories forever.

Today is awesome because I found a nice new ambient XM radio station at work. And I also painted my fingernails red.

And on that completely facinating note, I bid July adieu!

the sky was born clear

Today was one of those days where I had to force the Disney smile on myself at work. I absolutely didn't want to be there out of pure laziness. Not that I actually do anything other than checking in books, answering the phone, and helping the occasional customer. I honestly love it when a customer comes in, it's that time in between that makes me want to put my head through the desk. I need a good old fashioned weekend. I haven't had two days in a row to do nothing in at least a month. I just want to lay in bed all day with a stack of Blockbuster movies that I haven't had time to go rent and read about queens having sex throughout history. I look at Bella and get disgustingly jealous at how she gets to laze around all day long.

I have got to move out. It's time. I'm so sick of everyone being so uptight all the time. It never ends. This house feels like one giant knot and I can feel it affecting me. I miss the apartment where there really wasn't any drama between people. It was relaxed. It was so nice that when more than one of us was home it was kind of an unspoken signal that a person hanging out in the living room meant that another person was welcome to join them. If you were in your room then you weren't really bothered. I miss that closeness and understanding. I love my family but i miss living with friends.

Today is awesome because it was cold enough to wear my favorite sweater! It has so many patched up holes that I've had to mend. I think there have been holes torn in the arm pits twice. I got it from Pac Sun on the 50 percent off rack and it's really crappily made but I love it. It was just so lovely and chilly today. It made me so stinking excited to spend fall and the holidays at home.

Currently watching:
Dumb and Dumber (I remember NOTHING from this movie, except for the part when Jeff Daniels has diarrhea...wooo!)

kungaloosh!

Today is awesome because, like every typical 22 year old girl, I have been pining over this Zulu replica pith helmet from an antique store in Fort Collins for a few years. And today...I got it!!! Best present EVER! I have been wearing it non-stop since about 2:00 this afternoon and I freaking love it. All I need are chops and gold teeth and I could pass for Van Pelt! This helmet opens up a whole wealth of opportunities, such as:

1. Changing my persona from Boulder hippie to adventurous turn of the century Englishwoman for triple V nerdy hiking, whenever that may be.

2. Someday being Jane from Tarzan for Halloween (although the hats aren't quite the same I don't think that really matters)

3. Getting funny looks from my neighbors whenever I wear it to go get the mail.

4. Helping me to visualize my dream of Col. Perceivial Snort's library.

5, Starting my own Adventurer's Club where Shenanigans used to be. (OMG, how fraggle rocking awesome would that be?!)

I couldn't get a good picture of myself in it today to post so that will have to come later. But for now just know that I look badass.

why don't you head over to the snack bar and get yourself a big bowl of shut up

Today is awesome because I got a new toothbrush which is one of my small joys in life.

Today is not awesome because I want new face skin. Skin that doesn't break out. I'm so sick of waking up in the morning and the first thing I wonder is how many zits have popped up over night. You know those marks from past zits? Not really scars but they are these weird raised discolorations? I want new skin that doesn't have those either. Or skin that isn't ruddy and makes me look like I've just run a mile after my makeup starts to wear off. Grr. I love girls who can leave the house without makeup on. That is incredible to me. I can't even go outside in the front to water flowers after taking a shower without feeling weird about it. Oh insecurities.

One week and two days until I'm done with my class. Aka 2.5 books and a 10 page paper to complete before then. And then only two weeks of summer after that before my real classes start back up again. Can I just curl up in my bed and sleep until it's over?

Apparently I'm holding down the store Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I had forgotten that Ann is leaving for Dallas which means I'm da boss. I don't like being da boss. I like it when I can dump all problems on da boss and not have to worry about them. I'm not lazy (cough) I just don't like confrontation.

Okay, this is an entirely too negative post. I'm going to go indulge in some puffy cheetos and then brush my teeth with my new toothbrush and become happy. I suggest you do the same.

*Edit* I want to go to Hawaii. I watched Lilo and Stitch the other day on Disney, watched bloopers from Forgetting Sarah Marshall on youtube yesterday, watched Surfs Up today and am now watching 50 First Dates. I'm taking that as God's way of telling me to go.

worse than dragon breath and acne

I'm cranky today and I don't know why. Nothing really prompted me to be pissy I just woke up in a bad mood. I usually find Professor Worley charming and quirky but I just found him annoying today. Like he asked about the dragon in The Hobbit and we as a class replied that it was Smaug (Smog) he said no. We all kind of looked at each other, confused. He replied that the dragon's name was Smaug (Sm-ow-g). WTF. How does he know? And even if Tokien himself had told him it was pronounced in that way (which I wouldn't doubt) it's not like we got it wrong. It wasn't that big of a deal but it irked me so much that I was surly for the rest of the class.

I should probably watch Hook or something. No one can be in a bad mood while watching Rufio prance around in cut up leather pants and an uptight Robin Williams get slingshoted into a vat of rainbow mud.

However, I feel like the day has gotten progressively better. Nina has asked for her days off to come visit which means it's really happening! I'm so excited to show off my glorious state to an out of towner. I'm trying to think of inexpensive things to do. Hopefully something in Denver and definitely some mountain time. I was trying to think of things to show her in Greeley and all I came up with was the Kress and Walmart.

Today is awesome because Caleb came home from a church trip to New Orleans and was so excited to inform me about all the boobies and hookers he saw there.

Currently slogging through:
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke.

whadda you lookin' at butthead?

Today is awesome because of kettle korn, cash back, talking to squirrels, alleyways, bloomers, laying out in the sun to read, lunch at grandma's, the puppies, Michael J. Fox, audience members who clap at movies, and Huey Lewis and the News.

Ain't life grand?

you go' a touch a destiny abou' you

I have so much dust up my nose right now. I get my cleaning hankerings when A. I'm supposed to be doing something else B. I'm really angry at someone or C. It's late at night and I'm bored. This evening was A and C. Instead of reading The Hobbit for my class I took off every single one of my books from their shelves and did some serious dusting. Since they were all on the floor anyway I catagorized them and moved them to different places and stacked them differently to save space. I got way too much nerdy pleasure out of it.

I had the best day at work today. The power went out at around 11:30 and thankfully no one came in or I would have had to figure sales tax and what not without the computer's help. I don't even want to think about trying to figure change quickly. So I got to start on some fun projects while I waited for it to come back on. The glass window/door between us and Shenanigans was bumming Ann out so she asked me to do something with it. I cut tons of pictures and posters out of book catalogues and magazines and made a huge (and awesome if I do say so myself) collage. I used to have a wall that was literally covered in collages so I had a blast reliving the good ol' days of scotch tape and clever angles.

I'm excited about tomorrow. Arts Picnic (aka kettle korn and dehydration) and Back to the Future at the Kress! All I need is a geeky boyfriend to take and share a coke with. Le sigh. For now, I'll be content with sharing a coke with my other lover.

Currently Watching:
Pirates of the Carribbean: Dead Man's Chest (on sleuth network...hmm)

hockity pockity wockity wack

Can it be next year now? I am ready to leave for Florida NOW. Looking at apartments and figuring out where they are just makes the whole thing a reality. I can't wait. Although I truly am terrified for such a big step I think that having Sam, Zach, Nina, and Bella there will make everything a lot less scary. However, to be perfectly honest, I think I'm more afraid about leaving my family (i.e my dad and grandma) for their sake. Of course I'll miss them but I'm more worried about them worrying about me. No one else in my family has ever done this. They stay close to home. Like my mom said, they have never felt the need to stretch their wings and fly away. They have always been content where they are. I feel the need to experience something bigger than living at home until I meet the right guy, get married, and move into a house no more that 5 miles from my parents' house. The end. It would be so easy to do that. So easy to get a Masters degree, get a job as the head of the children's department at Farr, and stay there for 35 years until I retire. I have to force myself to not take the easy route.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Today is awesome because I got to hang out with two of my favorite people on earth. And because I'm fun-sized.

Currently Reading:
The Hobbit or There and Back Again by JRR Tolkien

top down seat back rollin' in my cadillac

Today is awesome because I tried a tanning bed for the first time ever. My grandma had a free spray on tan and offered for me to go with her. I didn't feel like risking looking like an Oompa Loompa so I did the bed for only $6. Initially, I was a bit concerned about 1. crawling into a UV coffin and 2. being naked and not being in the shower. It was actually kind of relaxing. I didn't bring my Zune or anything so I listened to the hum of the machine and just took some time to think. It was nice and warm and not too hot. AND I got to wear those ridiculously spiffy night vision goggles.

Trying new things for the win!

Our midterm was in a different classroom but I didn't get the memo. I wandered around and finally found the right place and ended up being nearly fifteen minutes late for the test. The professor gave me crap and it wasn't exactly the best way to begin an already stressful test. I think I did alright but he asks the kind of questions where none of the multiple choice answers is what you think is the right answer so you pick the one that sounds the least wrong. Urg.h.

I have made the mistake of purchasing a few books in the last couple of weeks and it's been like giving a few sips of whiskey to a recovering alcoholic. Bad idea. I've fallen off the wagon. And the worst thing is that I can't read them. I bought three at Goodwill and one at the Book Rack. Now to buy a new bookcase to put them on. And a house to put the bookcase in to put them on.